Neon Skies to Dark Skies

After leaving Edwards AFB we spent a week in Las Vegas.  Driving over to Vegas we swung through Baker, CA to take a photo of the world’s largest thermometer and the Bun Boy Restaurant (opened 1926).  Unfortunately, the restaurant closed last year and so the thermometer is no longer working.  But, just in case you ever missed the sight, here you go.

World's largest thermometer.

Neither one of us is much for gambling, although I enjoy playing slot machines from time to time.  So I played for a while the first night we got to Vegas, lost my limit of $30 and headed for the door.  Another day I killed a few minutes while Heinz checked on reviews for a good pizza joint and managed a smashing win of $3.45!!  Yes, there is a decimal point in there…oh well, what can you expect on the penny slots?  And yes, I shared my winnings; I gave Heinz the 45 cents.  Heinz, on the other hand, kept his money in his pocket and avoided the temptation.

We did try out a few restaurants while in town (kind of required, don’t you think?).  Our first stop was at the Bellagio for the buffet.  We both had truly fond memories of this buffet, but it didn’t live up to our expectations this time around.  We had recalled it as having a wide variety of foods, prepared excellently, and a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds.  Alas, all excellent things must eventually come down to merely good, I suppose.  There simply was not quite as wide a variety of dishes and the flavors had definitely come down in the world, many of them tending toward the bland side.  There was still a great dessert island, although Heinz was disappointed that Crème Brulee was no longer a choice.  I ended the meal feeling like I had eaten at a slightly more upscale Golden Corral at three times the price. 

The Bellagio

Our second try at a buffet was at the Rio.  On both Yelp and Urban Spoon, the Village Seafood Buffet was listed as number one in Vegas.  Once again, it’s pricey, but WOW, was it good.  While the website boasts that it is “all seafood, all the time”, there are some carnivore choices: steak, chicken, sausage, ribs; but, oh my, that seafood! Hot and cold Alaskan King Crab, boiled crawfish, oysters, mussels, paella, shrimp--boiled, in enchiladas, dim sum, salad, fried, you name it, lobster tails fixed 3 or 4 different ways, various types of fish fixed just about any way you can imagine, sushi, sashimi, and on and on.  The dessert choices included Heinz’s Crème Brulee and 15 different flavors of freshly made gelato.  I went for the mango and if I hadn’t been already considering loosening my pants from all the crab I would have gone back for more.  If you’re heading to Vegas and like seafood, DO NOT MISS eating at this buffet!

The Rio

We didn’t do a whole lot while in town, too hot during the day, and usually too lazy at night, but we did spend one night wandering around the strip with our cameras, checking out the photo opportunities with all that neon and color.

Neon splashes on Las Vegas Blvd.

Neon reflections on the Trump Tower.

The Flamingo's time-tested sign, designed in 1946 when the casino first opened.  The Flamingo was the third casino opened and currently the oldest operating casino in Las Vegas.

Side of the Flamingo Casino.

What a great combination of colors!

The Paris Hotel's famous hot air balloon.

In addition to wandering the streets we drifted into a few of the hotels and casinos to view the decorating schemes.  We went into the ever-popular Caesar’s Palace, Paris, and The Bellagio. 

Entrance to Caesar's Palace.

Snail in the Paris gardens.

Chihuly ceiling in the Bellagio lobby.

Then we decided to check out a new hotel/casino (at least new to us) - the Aria.  This hotel and the attached shopping area are absolutely fabulous - sleek, modern, and filled with unique displays of art.  The architecture and interior design are just fantastic!  From the moment you see the building’s exterior you know this is not a run-of-the-mill, themed Las Vegas casino.  It might be worth it to go back to Vegas and check in, just to see what a room looks like.  If you decide to try it out, take photos and send them to us!

Exterior of the Aria Hotel and Casino

Starbucks in the Aria.

“Tornado” water columns, moving your hands around the outside of the column causes the water to twirl up in a waterspout.

Waterspout up close.

Water walls inside the hotel.  There are multiples of these that have water running between colored glass panels.

One day while driving home from running some errands I noticed a sign for the Neon Boneyard.  Being rather intrigued, I checked it out on-line and found that it is The Neon Museum of Las Vegas.  Run by a non-profit organization, the museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and restoring neon signage of Las Vegas.  The group rescues old signs that would have become just so much scrap metal and moves them to the Neon Boneyard.  The museum has both day and night tours, so Heinz and I opted for a night tour, figuring that it would have more photo opportunities.

The Neon Boneyard.  All the letters in the sign are from discarded casino signs.

The sign at night.

We learned quite a bit during our tour. Neon signs in the city are not owned by the enterprises that display them, but are rented from lighting and signage companies.  Therefore, when a business wants to delete or update a sign, they call the signage company to design and install a new sign, and then remove the old sign.  These companies strip the old sign of toxic materials and any usable parts such as bulbs, wiring, etc. and scrap the rest. 

As advertising technology changed in the 1990’s more and more casinos and businesses were converting their neon signs to digital imagery and other computerized signage.  The city of Las Vegas was determined not to lose the ambiance that neon signage gave to the strip and passed a law that 75% of signage must be in neon.  

The Museum has over 150 restored and un-restored neon signs from some of the city’s most celebrated properties dating from the 1930’s to the present day.  You can only view the collection on a guided tour due to safety concerns - but, it is worth a look.  The museum does offer senior, military, and student discounts.

Entry sign from the old Horseshoe Casino.

Casino entryway sign from the Sahara Casino (now closed).

The old Lido Club sign.

Neon bulb close-up.

A letter from a 1940’s era motel sign.  The pipes standing out from the sides are of iron and were how the workmen climbed up the signs to change bulbs or touch up paint, often several stories in the air.

1950’s era sign.

Sign letters waiting placement.

Derelict for now.

Restored sign from the Stardust Casino.

Awaiting restoration.

Hotel sign from the 1960's.  The museum's reception area is located in the lobby building of the old La Concha Hotel.

Restored neon sign from a long-ago nightclub.

Sign from the Yucca Hotel, closed in the 1960's.

In addition to the boneyard signs, the museum has restored neon signs from Las Vegas’ by-gone days and placed them in the medians along Fremont St. and Las Vegas Blvd.  This project is on going and the museum has several signs in various stages of restoration.  The eventual goal is to have old historic signs all along the strip.

Restored martini glass.

Cleaner's sign from the 1940's.

Horse and rider from the original Horseshoe Casino.

On our last night in town Heinz and I were craving ice cream and he hopped on-line to find out where the best ice cream was to be found.  With no time to spare, we hopped in the car and headed for La Flor de Michoacan.  There are five locations for this ice cream company in Las Vegas.  We went to the original location on Eastern Ave, a small hole-in-the-wall shop in a somewhat rundown strip mall.  To say that we were the only English speaking couple in the place is not exaggerating - even the staff spoke very little English.  But between smiles, hand gestures, and butchered Spanish on our part, we got our order, and some of the best blackberry ice cream I have ever eaten.  Heinz decided on mango, which was very good as well.

La Flor de Michoacan

I don't have a friend of the day from our time in Neon City so I guess I'll just leave you with a couple of shots to tease you with our upcoming adventures in the Dixie National Forest in Utah.  We're spending three weeks there and so far are having a great time - our main achievement so far is taking over a week to get over a couple of severe head colds...sigh...

Looking over the Dixie National Forest towards Zion National Park.

What a nice backyard!